Geography of Turkey


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Turkey is a large rectangular peninsula between southeastern Europe and Asia. The country has functioned as a bridge throughout history. Turkey extends more than 1,600 kilometers from west to east. It extends less than 800 kilometers from north to south. The total area is about 779,452 square kilometers. 755,688 square kilometers of Turkey is in Asia and 23,764 square kilometers in Europe.
(Information from http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Counprof/Turkey.htm)

Topography: Turkey is a high altitude country. Turkey’s topography is very different throughout the country. Thrace, which is on the European side, is a rich hilly land. Anatolia which is on the Asian side has an inner high plateau with mountain ranges. The plateau spreads from the west to the Aegean coast. Southern mountain range at the east curves round in an arc to the South East Taurus Mountain. The plateau falls gradually to sea level in West Anatolia. It terminates in a series of peninsulas which face the Aegean Sea. (Information from http://countrystudies.us/turkey/18.htm)
Mount_Ararat.JPG


Resources: coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower (Information from http://www.indexmundi.com/turkey/natural_resources.html)

Population: 73,722,988 (2010 est.) (Information from http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/turkey/trfacts.htm)

Climate: The Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions experience cool, rainy winters, and warm dry summers, with moderate precipitation. Spring and fall are considered ideal times to visit these areas as temperatures still approach the high 70s (21°C) and rain fall amounts are low. The Black Sea coastal region is generally cooler throughout the year and has the heaviest rainfall in Turkey, averaging 55 inches per year. The central Anatolian Plateau, blocked from the sea by high mountains, has very cold temperatures in the winter, and extreme, almost unbearable heat in summer. Rainfall is light here, but winter snowfalls are heavy. The far-eastern highlands have hot, dry summers and very cold winters with heavy snowfall. (Information from http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/turkey/trweather.htm)


Latitude & Longitude:
Ankara: (capital city) 39° 55' N, 32° 51' E
Istanbul: 41° 0' N, 28° 58' E
Izmir: 38° 25' N, 27° 7' E
(Information from http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/turkey/trlatlog.htm)

Relative Location: Turkey is positioned in the Middle East, a recognized geographical of southwestern Asia, and is situated in both the northern and eastern hemispheres. Turkey is bordered by the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Turkey is also bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and Aegean Sea. (Information from http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/turkey/trlatlog.htm)


View this video for more information about the geography of Turkey!